The term trauma originates from the Greek word for wound. The first records of trauma date back to 1685, and it’s now a well-understood psychological phenomenon. Across 24 countries, the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Surveys found that 70.4% of respondents had experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Most people who live through a traumatic event don’t go on to develop a psychiatric condition, but a meaningful minority do. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that about 6.8% of U.S. adults will experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives, and about 3.6% in any given year.

Trauma can affect people from all walks of life and shape a person’s outlook. To understand how it’s treated, it helps to first consider what it is and where it comes from.

What Is Trauma?

Trauma is an emotional reaction to a violent or distressing event. Shock and denial are common reactions in the immediate aftermath. Unpredictable emotions, flashback memories, strained relationships and physical symptoms like headaches or nausea can all persist long after the event itself.

While these responses are common, some people find it difficult to move forward or go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. People living with PTSD may experience flashbacks and nightmares, and often avoid anything that might trigger a memory of the traumatic event. Many stay hypervigilant to danger and find day-to-day functioning difficult.

Common Causes of Trauma

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or dial 911.

Trauma can occur for many reasons, including:

• Grief or other personal loss
• Bullying
• Physical, emotional or sexual abuse
• Growing up in an unsafe environment
• War
• Witnessing violence
• Being involved in an accident
• Cultural, racial or intergenerational trauma

Contrary to popular belief, not all trauma is caused by single, extreme events. Prolonged stress or repeated exposure to smaller incidents can also produce a trauma response.

Treating Trauma in Florida With Outpatient Trauma Therapy

Because the effects of trauma are well studied, a range of treatment options is available. Many people can begin with outpatient trauma therapy, which allows them to keep up with work or family obligations while they work through treatment. Others need the structure of a live-in setting. At Restore Mental Health’s Deerfield Beach campus, care spans outpatient therapy through residential mental health treatment, and the right starting point depends on symptom severity, safety and what a person has already tried. Trauma treatment isn’t the same for everyone, and a qualified clinician can give personalized guidance on the options.

Diagnosis and Medical Integration

The first step in trauma treatment is a diagnostic assessment. A clinician works to understand the root and nature of the trauma. A medical examination is also important, to rule out an underlying health condition producing similar symptoms.

Once other causes have been ruled out and a diagnosis is in place, treatment for emotional trauma can begin. Where trauma occurs alongside a substance use disorder, dual diagnosis treatment addresses both conditions together rather than in sequence.

Psychopharmaceutical Treatment

Psychopharmacology is the field of using medication to treat mental health conditions. Mood, emotion and mental state are shaped in part by activity in the brain’s chemical signaling systems, and medication that helps regulate that activity can ease the anxiety and emotional dysregulation associated with trauma.

Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and antipsychotics are all used in the medical treatment of trauma. These are usually provided alongside psychotherapeutic treatment rather than on their own.

Psychotherapeutic Treatment

Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, works to resolve trauma through psychological means. PTSD intensive outpatient programs typically involve sessions with a trained therapist to help people understand and process what happened to them. A PTSD IOP may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) or exposure-based therapies.

There’s evidence supporting therapy as part of a trauma IOP, and when combined with medication, support groups and ongoing care, it can produce lasting results.

Holistic Treatment Options

Holistic treatment aims to treat the whole person rather than the narrow issue at hand — easing symptoms while working on the underlying psychological aspects of the trauma.

Some holistic emotional trauma treatments include:

• Yoga. The practice of yoga combines meditation, physical postures and breathing exercises to support well-being and mental health.
• Acupuncture. This involves releasing tension through pressure points with tiny needles in the skin, producing relaxation and better circulation.
• Mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness can be roughly defined as an objective and nonreactive awareness of the present moment. The practice has been used in the treatment of many psychological conditions, including trauma.
• Relaxation therapy. A type of meditation training focused on relaxing the body and mind.
• Natural products. Aromatherapy, essential oils and supplements can have a calming effect for some people.

These options can help people who don’t feel comfortable with more traditional therapy and want an outlet for anxiety or stress.

Having a Support Group

Social support matters for well-being generally and can be particularly significant during recovery from trauma. Being able to speak with others who’ve been through something similar is often a relief. Support groups run by a skilled facilitator, in either outpatient or residential trauma treatment, provide a safe environment for that to happen.

Living With the Diagnosis

Learning you have unresolved trauma or PTSD can itself be difficult. Some people feel there’s something wrong with them, which can bring on isolation or a sense of incapacity. A diagnosis is more usefully understood as information than as a verdict — learning to work with it is a meaningful part of recovery.

Get Emotional Trauma Treatment and Live Life Fully

Whether you’ve experienced a recent traumatic event or carry unresolved issues from childhood, trauma doesn’t have to dictate the shape of your life. A wide range of treatment options exists, and talking with a professional is the way to start understanding the nature of your own trauma.

Trauma is common and can happen to anyone. There’s no shame in seeking help. With psychotherapy, medical care, holistic support or a combination of those approaches, recovery is possible.

Restore Mental Health offers residential and outpatient trauma therapy at our Deerfield Beach campus. Call (877) 810-2074 to talk through your options — the conversation is confidential and there’s no obligation.